Tuning In: Mayock lends expertise to college and pro coverage

No NFL game analyst knows the college game better than Mike Mayock, and there's a simple reason for that. He's the only football game analyst who works both NFL and college games.

In addition to Thursday night NFL games on the NFL Network, Mayock analyzes Notre Dame home games on NBC. He also analyzes the NFL Draft for the NFL Network.

"It ties it all together for me," Mayock said. "I get the draft and both ends of the draft with the college and the NFL games."

So when Mayock visited Patriots practice prior to the team's first preseason game against the Eagles, he was shocked to see undrafted rookie wide receiver Kenbrell Thompkins jog onto the field with the first-team offense.

"I had to look at my program to see who it was, who was 85?" admitted the Boston College Hall of Fame defensive back.

Mayock, 55, was just as surprised to see fellow rookies Aaron Dobson, Josh Boyce and Zach Sudfeld catching passes from Tom Brady. None of those rookies impressed when the Patriots rallied to win at Buffalo, 23-21, in their regular-season opener Sunday.

"With youth comes growing pains," Mayock said. "That's just the way of the world in anything. I think what they're betting on is that over time these guys are younger, quicker, faster and will develop into better playmakers down the road."

The Pats host the Jets at 8:25 tonight with Mayock analyzing the game alongside Brad Nessler on the NFL Network. Channel 5 also will show the game locally.

Brady targeted Thompkins 14 times against Buffalo, but he caught only four passes for 42 yards. A sore hamstring sidelined Dobson, and neither Boyce nor Sudfeld caught a pass.

"I thought there were several disconnects," Mayock said, "between Brady and his young receivers in the game, and I think that's something you're going to have to live with for a little time. When (Rob) Gronkowski gets back, I think of lot of that gets better more quickly because he'll draw so much coverage."

Mayock likes Thompkins' ability to separate himself from a defender to get open, and he believes Dobson has "big-time ability and size." He expects them to improve with experience. In the meantime, Pats fans will have to hope that Danny Amendola's groin injury doesn't sideline him.

"When healthy," Mayock said, "I think he's very comparable to (Wes) Welker, and he's younger than Welker, which is why I think they made the move. So the only caveat I would give you on the kid is he's got to stay healthy with his history of injuries."

Pats-Jets is always a fun matchup, but Nessler is looking forward to tonight's game even more after all the troubles Jets coach Rex Ryan had during preseason with general manager John Idzik about whether to start Mark Sanchez or rookie Geno Smith at quarterback.

"Talk about disconnect," Nessler said, "Rex and his general manager probably have disconnected more times than those two quarterbacks and receivers will all year."

In his debut, Smith completed 24 of 38 passes for 256 yards and a touchdown in an 18-17 win over Tampa Bay Sunday. Nessler, who calls college football games for ESPN, admitted that Smith's strong start surprised him, but no one was more taken aback than Mayock. For the NFL Draft, Mayock rated Smith first and EJ Manuel, who faced the Pats last Sunday, second, and he thought they were the only two quarterbacks in the draft who could make a difference. Then after Smith threw three interceptions and took a safety in a preseason game, Mayock had doubts about him, and he said that Sunday morning on the NFL Network.

"I buy into all his upside and physical tools," Mayock said. "He has those. I was concerned about him being ready. I thought he was too raw and not ready to play against a live NFL defense in a regular-season game."

Mayock credited Jets offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg with helping Smith succeed by calling bootlegs and sprint-outs as well as 29 running plays. Mayock thought Smith became more comfortable as the game progressed, but the rookie QB still has a lot to learn, just as the Pats' rookie receivers do.

"He had a bad strip-sack fumble," Mayock said, "and a bad interception so ball security is a concern, and I also think he holds onto the ball a little bit too long in the pocket waiting for receivers to come open, as opposed to anticipating, but again, that's common for a young quarterback so I'm cautiously optimistic after watching that first game."

When Mayock has a Notre Dame game on Saturday and an NFL game on Thursday, he spends every day of the week watching tape, attending practice, talking to coaches and players or working at the games. But he's not about to complain.

"If I could get a high school game, I would also," Mayock said. "To me, it's fascinating."

Contact Bill Doyle at wdoyle@telegram.com. Follow him on Twitter @BillDoyle15.

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